The Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) and the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA) are celebrating Colorado Public Lands Day on Saturday, May 15, by hosting the Annual Arkansas River Cleanup-Greenup.
Beginning at 8:30 a.m. on May 15, upwards of 200 volunteers, will work along the banks of the Arkansas River from Leadville to Cañon City and below to clean up trash and debris from the river corridor in preparation for a busy summer season. The work coincides with the start of spring snowmelt and run-off.
Volunteers may pick up a commemorative pin, gloves and trash bags the morning of the event at registration tables at the AHRA Visitors Center in Salida or at the Buena Vista Community Center in Buena Vista. Or volunteers can register online in advance.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife will have a large trash trailer at the Touch-A-Truck event at the Vandaveer Ranch on the southeast edge of Salida the same day. Bagged trash also can be deposited behind the entrance sign to any AHRA-managed recreation sites for pick up by AHRA staff. The non-profit group American Rivers will furnish the trash bags. Please adhere to the County guidelines regarding COVID precautions during the event
At the end of the morning, a volunteer picnic will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at the Vandaveer Ranch. Prizes will be awarded for Largest Piece of Trash, Strangest Piece of Trash, Most Upcycle-Worthy Piece of Trash and People’s Choice. Submit photos of your entries to ahra@state.co.us.
The AHRA launched its annual river cleanup program in 1992 in cooperation with American Rivers and National River Cleanup. In fact, that first river cleanup-greenup on May 9, 1992, earned an Honorary Proclamation by then-Gov. Roy Romer as "Arkansas River Cleanup Day."
Anyone who completes at least 48 hours of logged CPW volunteer work within a 12-month period is eligible to earn a free volunteer pass. To create a volunteer profile and log hours for this opportunity, visit the CPW CUGU Volunteer site at https://goo.gl/dHU9oy.
For more information, contact AHRA at 719-539-7289, or email ahra@state.co.us
Jeff
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Monday, April 26, 2021
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s first educational session on wolf reintroduction efforts set for April 28
Members of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission as well as the public are invited to attend CPW’s first online educational session related to wolf reintroduction efforts on Wed., April 28 from 6 - 8 p.m.
The purpose of the educational sessions is to provide the Commission and members of the public with a common understanding of what it means to have wolves on the landscape and how experts from other states have approached wolf management. Invited wolf experts from Montana and Idaho will share real-world experiences to help the Colorado public better understand what it means to have wolves as one of the many wildlife species CPW manages.
Session 1: Wolf Management and Wolf-Prey Interactions
Speakers will include:
* Diane Boyd (retired from Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks) will describe state management of wolves
* Jon Horne (Idaho Fish and Game) will present on wolf-prey interactions
Pre-registration is required for those who wish to see the presentation live and ask questions by clicking this link. Upon registering, participants will receive an email with a link to access the session. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions for the presenters through the chat during the question-and-answer portion of the session. All sessions will be recorded and available for members of the public who wish to view the sessions later.
There will be two more educational sessions – one in May and one in June – with the dates still to be determined. These presentations will cover reintroduction and conflict management.
Stay informed on CPW’s wolf management efforts by visiting the CPW website and signing up for the Gray Wolf Reintroduction eNews.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
The purpose of the educational sessions is to provide the Commission and members of the public with a common understanding of what it means to have wolves on the landscape and how experts from other states have approached wolf management. Invited wolf experts from Montana and Idaho will share real-world experiences to help the Colorado public better understand what it means to have wolves as one of the many wildlife species CPW manages.
Session 1: Wolf Management and Wolf-Prey Interactions
Speakers will include:
* Diane Boyd (retired from Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks) will describe state management of wolves
* Jon Horne (Idaho Fish and Game) will present on wolf-prey interactions
Pre-registration is required for those who wish to see the presentation live and ask questions by clicking this link. Upon registering, participants will receive an email with a link to access the session. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions for the presenters through the chat during the question-and-answer portion of the session. All sessions will be recorded and available for members of the public who wish to view the sessions later.
There will be two more educational sessions – one in May and one in June – with the dates still to be determined. These presentations will cover reintroduction and conflict management.
Stay informed on CPW’s wolf management efforts by visiting the CPW website and signing up for the Gray Wolf Reintroduction eNews.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Monday, April 19, 2021
Mesa Verde National Park Certified as 100th International Dark Sky Park
The National Park Service and the International Dark-Sky Association are pleased to announce Mesa Verde National Park as the 100th International Dark Sky Park. This certification recognizes the exceptional quality of the park’s night skies and provides added opportunities to enhance visitor experiences through astronomy-based interpretive programming.
Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE. Today, the park protects over 52,000 acres and nearly 5,000 known archeological sites. Mesa Verde’s rugged and wild environment of pinyon-juniper woodlands and deep canyons is home to over 1,000 species, including several that live nowhere else on earth. Mesa Verde’s exceptionally dark skies are an important part of the cultural landscape of the park that holds special significance to Mesa Verde’s 26 affiliated tribes.
Mesa Verde now joins a growing set of 169 International Dark Sky Places in 21 countries around the world, including 37 other sites administered by the National Park Service. These diverse Dark Sky Places have all followed a rigorous application process that demonstrates robust community support for dark sky certification.
The International Dark Sky Places Program was founded in 2001 to encourage communities, parks, and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting polices and public education. International Dark Sky Park certification promotes public education and astronomy-based recreation in parks while improving energy efficiency and reducing operational costs through outdoor lighting upgrades, which in turn creates economic opportunities for neighboring communities through astronomy-based tourism. Mesa Verde’s application garnered widespread community support, including from the city of Cortez, towns of Dolores and Mancos, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, and the Mesa Verde Country tourism bureau.
The International Dark-Sky Association advocates for the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating the public about night sky conservation and by promoting environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. More information about the International Dark-Sky Association and the benefits of dark skies may be found at DarkSky.org
The certification does not carry any legal or regulatory authority. The certification demonstrates a commitment by parks to improve night skies through the use of more energy efficient, sustainable lighting. Certification also reaffirms the park’s commitment to educate the public and gateway communities about the importance of dark sky-friendly outdoor lighting and opportunities to work together toward common goals.
Mesa Verde National Park offers public night sky programs throughout the year and is an excellent place to learn about and enjoy the wonders of the night sky. Mesa Verde will celebrate the certification achievement with programs at the park when we are able to safely gather again.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 600 to 1300 CE. Today, the park protects over 52,000 acres and nearly 5,000 known archeological sites. Mesa Verde’s rugged and wild environment of pinyon-juniper woodlands and deep canyons is home to over 1,000 species, including several that live nowhere else on earth. Mesa Verde’s exceptionally dark skies are an important part of the cultural landscape of the park that holds special significance to Mesa Verde’s 26 affiliated tribes.
Mesa Verde now joins a growing set of 169 International Dark Sky Places in 21 countries around the world, including 37 other sites administered by the National Park Service. These diverse Dark Sky Places have all followed a rigorous application process that demonstrates robust community support for dark sky certification.
The International Dark Sky Places Program was founded in 2001 to encourage communities, parks, and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting polices and public education. International Dark Sky Park certification promotes public education and astronomy-based recreation in parks while improving energy efficiency and reducing operational costs through outdoor lighting upgrades, which in turn creates economic opportunities for neighboring communities through astronomy-based tourism. Mesa Verde’s application garnered widespread community support, including from the city of Cortez, towns of Dolores and Mancos, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, and the Mesa Verde Country tourism bureau.
The International Dark-Sky Association advocates for the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating the public about night sky conservation and by promoting environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. More information about the International Dark-Sky Association and the benefits of dark skies may be found at DarkSky.org
The certification does not carry any legal or regulatory authority. The certification demonstrates a commitment by parks to improve night skies through the use of more energy efficient, sustainable lighting. Certification also reaffirms the park’s commitment to educate the public and gateway communities about the importance of dark sky-friendly outdoor lighting and opportunities to work together toward common goals.
Mesa Verde National Park offers public night sky programs throughout the year and is an excellent place to learn about and enjoy the wonders of the night sky. Mesa Verde will celebrate the certification achievement with programs at the park when we are able to safely gather again.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Friday, April 16, 2021
Bears are emerging in Colorado; do your part to be Bear Aware
Someone once said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. But every spring Colorado Parks and Wildlife adds another item to that list: bears emerging from hibernation.
As the weather continues to warm up throughout Colorado, reports of bear sightings are starting to trickle into wildlife offices throughout the state. So now is the time for everyone in Colorado to shift back into bear-aware mode, said Steve McClung, assistant area wildlife manager for CPW in Durango.
“Please remember, we’re getting back into the season when bears are active,” McClung said. “So please, secure your trash and take down the bird feeders.”
Bird feeders are a major source of bear conflicts. You can instead attract birds naturally with flowering plants and bird baths. Wait until late November to hang feeders again.
Research shows that bears prefer natural sources of food. But they will find sources of human-provided food if it’s available. If bears become habituated to human sources of food they can become dangerous to humans.
CPW also urges residents to report bear problems to local wildlife offices as soon as they see them. If problems are reported early, CPW wildlife officers can use a range of options to deal with the bear. They can tour the neighborhood to look for food sources that are attracting bears, work with residents to correct the situation and set strategies to harass the bear to push it back into wild areas or to trap and move it if necessary. If CPW does not get reports until a bear is breaking into houses or vehicles, officers’ choices are limited.
“The last thing we want to do is put down a bear, every wildlife officer absolutely hates doing that,” McClung said. “So don’t hesitate to call us as soon as you see any bad behavior, even if it appears minor. That gives us a much better opportunity to correct the situation early.”
For more information go to the Living with Wildlife section on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife web site: cpw.state.co.us/bears. Should you have questions or need to report bear problems, call your nearest CPW office.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
As the weather continues to warm up throughout Colorado, reports of bear sightings are starting to trickle into wildlife offices throughout the state. So now is the time for everyone in Colorado to shift back into bear-aware mode, said Steve McClung, assistant area wildlife manager for CPW in Durango.
Bird feeders are a major source of bear conflicts. You can instead attract birds naturally with flowering plants and bird baths. Wait until late November to hang feeders again.
Research shows that bears prefer natural sources of food. But they will find sources of human-provided food if it’s available. If bears become habituated to human sources of food they can become dangerous to humans.
CPW also urges residents to report bear problems to local wildlife offices as soon as they see them. If problems are reported early, CPW wildlife officers can use a range of options to deal with the bear. They can tour the neighborhood to look for food sources that are attracting bears, work with residents to correct the situation and set strategies to harass the bear to push it back into wild areas or to trap and move it if necessary. If CPW does not get reports until a bear is breaking into houses or vehicles, officers’ choices are limited.
“The last thing we want to do is put down a bear, every wildlife officer absolutely hates doing that,” McClung said. “So don’t hesitate to call us as soon as you see any bad behavior, even if it appears minor. That gives us a much better opportunity to correct the situation early.”
For more information go to the Living with Wildlife section on the Colorado Parks and Wildlife web site: cpw.state.co.us/bears. Should you have questions or need to report bear problems, call your nearest CPW office.
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
COVID-19 Pandemic Causes Impacts and Opportunities for U.S. National Parks
National Park Service staff studying effects of the Coronavirus pandemic found wide variations in park visitation, fewer park programs, gaps in long-term monitoring of natural and cultural resources, and lost park-related employment across the U.S. in 2020.
“One of the greatest impacts of the pandemic for national parks is all of the lost opportunities for education and employment that national parks and partner organizations provide for people starting their careers,” said Abe Miller-Rushing, science coordinator at Acadia National Park and the lead author of a study recently published in the journal Biological Conservation.
Findings in the paper show that in the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020, visitation to U.S. national parks declined by about 87 percent. In some parks visitation rebounded quickly as the summer progressed, while in others it remained low. For example, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska got less than 10 percent of its normal visitation in 2020.
Other parks, particularly those near urban areas, experienced increased numbers of visitors as people sought safe areas for recreation and exercise. At Indiana Dunes National Park, an additional 150,000 people visited in 2020 compared to the previous year. Park officials attributed at least part of the increase to beach closures in other public spaces.
Miller-Rushing said researchers are still evaluating how these changes in visitation and traffic affected wildlife, cultural resources, and environmental conditions like air quality and noise pollution. Many long-term research projects and management actions at national parks were delayed or cancelled due to COVID 19, which complicates the challenge of collecting adequate data for analysis. Limited staffing forced some parks to prioritize resource protection activities, such as at Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia, where only six of 33 active studies continued. Because they were unable to carry out fieldwork, many NPS scientific staff shifted to analyzing past data or relied on gathering data by automated monitoring equipment.
Parks and partner organizations hired fewer seasonal employees and cancelled many internship programs, creating hardships for those who rely on these opportunities to gain experience and skills. The authors estimated that these changes affected the careers of 47,946 youth volunteers, interns, and conservation corps members. “These lost opportunities will have cascading impacts on students and early career researchers, managers, and educators during the coming years,” Miller-Rushing said.
At the same time, other opportunities for education increased. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana, and many other parks and partners, offered more online programs and content. Visits to these online education resources spiked when schools shifted to remote learning in the spring of 2020.
For more information, the pre-print of the paper can be found at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721000902#s0150
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
“One of the greatest impacts of the pandemic for national parks is all of the lost opportunities for education and employment that national parks and partner organizations provide for people starting their careers,” said Abe Miller-Rushing, science coordinator at Acadia National Park and the lead author of a study recently published in the journal Biological Conservation.
Findings in the paper show that in the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020, visitation to U.S. national parks declined by about 87 percent. In some parks visitation rebounded quickly as the summer progressed, while in others it remained low. For example, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska got less than 10 percent of its normal visitation in 2020.
Other parks, particularly those near urban areas, experienced increased numbers of visitors as people sought safe areas for recreation and exercise. At Indiana Dunes National Park, an additional 150,000 people visited in 2020 compared to the previous year. Park officials attributed at least part of the increase to beach closures in other public spaces.
Miller-Rushing said researchers are still evaluating how these changes in visitation and traffic affected wildlife, cultural resources, and environmental conditions like air quality and noise pollution. Many long-term research projects and management actions at national parks were delayed or cancelled due to COVID 19, which complicates the challenge of collecting adequate data for analysis. Limited staffing forced some parks to prioritize resource protection activities, such as at Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia, where only six of 33 active studies continued. Because they were unable to carry out fieldwork, many NPS scientific staff shifted to analyzing past data or relied on gathering data by automated monitoring equipment.
Parks and partner organizations hired fewer seasonal employees and cancelled many internship programs, creating hardships for those who rely on these opportunities to gain experience and skills. The authors estimated that these changes affected the careers of 47,946 youth volunteers, interns, and conservation corps members. “These lost opportunities will have cascading impacts on students and early career researchers, managers, and educators during the coming years,” Miller-Rushing said.
At the same time, other opportunities for education increased. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana, and many other parks and partners, offered more online programs and content. Visits to these online education resources spiked when schools shifted to remote learning in the spring of 2020.
For more information, the pre-print of the paper can be found at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721000902#s0150
Jeff
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
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